Do you know where your decree absolute is?

Probably the most important document you receive as a result of getting divorced is your decree absolute / final order. It is the legal proof that you are divorced, and you need to keep it safe. Without it, you cannot legally get married again, or prove your marital status if required for a variety of reasons such as:

Applying for a new passport in your maiden name
Changing any joint bank accounts
Informing your mortgage lender of your divorce
Changing personal contact details for credit cards, insurance policies and utility bills
Updating your details with HMRC

Now where did I put it?

At LGFL, we are constantly surprised by the number of clients who lose this vital document, or assume it is safely lodged with their solicitors - if they can even remember who they are.

Or perhaps more to the point, who they were. Over the last 18 months, many local and regional law firms have been acquired by others and merged. So their original firm’s name no longer exists, and you will need to discover which firm took them over - and if that firm have been taken over since!

Also, most solicitors destroy their files after six years, so your paperwork may have been securely disposed of years ago.

Replacing a lost decree absolute / final order certificate

If you need a replacement, ideally you need to know which court or Divorce Service Centre handled your divorce, dissolution or annulment, and their number. A replacement certificate issued by the court will cost you £11.

If you don’t remember which court it was, you can now apply online to the Central Family Court to search for a copy of the final order or decree absolute. There is a charge of £65 per 10 years of search required. So if you were divorced 15 years ago, you would need to make two searches at £65 each. Your certificate should arrive within 45 days, so allow plenty of time.

For more details, see this government page

Getting married again?

To remarry after your divorce, you will need to present:

• An original decree absolute / final order certificate

• An official certified copy

This is particularly important if you plan to remarry abroad, as you may need different documents depending on your wedding destination, including a certificate of no impediment (CNI). Use the .gov website to find out which documents you require.

Copies of certificates you can order online

Some of these documents can be replaced with new copies by applying online.

You can order a copy of a birth, adoption, death, marriage or civil partnership certificate issued in England and Wales from the General Register Office for a small fee.
If you lose a UK passport, you should inform the Passport Office as soon as possible to cancel the old one and order a replacement. At time of writing it costs £88.50 to replace your passport online.
You can order a replacement driver’s licence online from the DVLA. In Great Britain, driving licences are now the plastic card only - no paper counterpart required. Again, you will need to provide proof of identity in terms of your address, and your NI and passport numbers if you know them. At time of writing, it costs £20 to replace a lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed driving licence.

Verify documents with a Commissioner for Oaths

It is surprising how many financial and other institutions still require sight of an notarised paper copy of documents, especially LPAs on which you are named as an attorney (even though they can be sent digital verification of these).

Important documents can be copied and verified by a Commissioner for Oaths, such as LGFL. We charge a nominal fee for this service, and you will need to attend in person. You will need to provide two forms of ID, including photo ID and proof of address within the last three months.

Our two Directors are entitled to administer oaths so long as we are not acting on your behalf in any proceedings or cases in which you have an interest.